The Mitsubishi Xpander is perhaps one of the hotly anticipated launches for this year. The public no longer has to wait any longer as MMPC has officially introduced the seven-seat, B-segment crossover in the country. It is set to go head to head with the Honda BR-V and, in a few months time, the Toyota Rush.

As mentioned before, the crossover-MPV remains faithful to the XM Concept which was shown during the 2016 Philippine International Motor Show. The fascia is unique with its high-mounted slim daytime running lights which then merges with the brand's signature 'Dynamic Shield' grill. Its main beam meanwhile is housed in the middle of the bumper, integrating it with its foglights. Giving the Xpander an SUV look is a faux skid plate at the front apron, along with over 200 mm of ground clearance.

Two bold character lines can be see running through the door handles and near the bottom of the doors. There's the kinked third window with a black piece of trim to add more flair to its tall, upright sides. At the rear are pillar-mounted tail lights in the shape of an 'L'. As for dimensions, the next-gen MPV measures 4475 mm long, 1750 mm wide and 1700 mm tall. There are four trim levels to choose from, namely the GLX M/T, GLX Premium A/T, GLS and GLS Sport.

Inside, the Xpander boasts a wraparound dashboard with different kinds of trimmings depending on the model selected. Seen on the center stack is an upright infotainment touchscreen (standard for high-spec models) and below it are the controls for air-conditioning. Speaking of which, there are a ceiling-mounted vents to keep the rear passengers cool. Lastly, the Xpander is the first in its segment to boast fold-flat seating for the third row.

All Xpander variants use a 1.5-liter MIVEC engine. Power is rated at 105 PS while its torque is at 141 Nm of torque. It sends power to the front wheels and can be specified with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The Xpander is available with Hill Start Assist (HSA), and perhaps more crucially, Active Stability Control (ASC).

The Xpander may be test-driven during the Xpander Xpo at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from March 2 to March 4. Gates will be open to the public from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Meanwhile the test drive and head-to-head activities will be available from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM only. Deliveries will begin by May.